The Top International Premium Spirits Companies in 2016

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Diageo is the world's foremost premium alcoholic drinks business, especially strong in North America and Asia. Its blockbuster portfolio is led by Smirnoff, Johnnie Walker, Captain Morgan and Baileys. Guinness is its biggest beer and it has an important strategic partnership with LVMH's Moet Hennessy division. Diageo sold off most of its wine assets in 2015.

Pernod-Ricard became the world's #2 spirits and wine company following the takeover of larger rival Allied Domecq in 2005. It got bigger still with the acquisition of Absolut vodka three years later. Other top sellers include Ricard pastis, Ballantine's and Chivas whisky, Seagram's and Beefeater gin, Jacob's Creek Australian wines and
Mumm and Perrier Jouet champagne.

Bacardi is one of the world's biggest spirits by volumes, and the best-selling rum by far, with almost 50% share of the huge US market. On the back of Bacardi's success, the company has gradually assembled a small portfolio of other important brands including Martini wines and aperitifs, Dewar's whisky, Bombay Sapphire gin and premium vodka Grey Goose.

Beam Suntory was formed in 2014 from the buyout of US group Beam by Suntory of Japan. The enlarged portfolio combines Beam's Jim Beam bourbon, Pinnacle vodka, Sauza tequila, Courvoisier cognac and other brands with Suntory's large collection of Japanese whisky.

Brown-Forman is best-known internationally as the maker of that quintessential spirit of the American South, Jack Daniel's. Its portfolio also includes
Finlandia vodka, El Jimador tequila and other spirits, as well as California's super premium Sonoma Cutrer wines. The group has a distribution partnership in several countries with Bacardi.x

Gruppo Campari has transformed itself since 2005 from a regional minnow in Italy to a global player with a portfolio of more than 40 premium brands. Campari and Cinzano are now accompanied by a collection of other tipples including Skyy vodka, Wild Turkey bourbon, Glen Grant whisky and best-selling Brazilian brandy Dreher's.

Jose Cuervo is the world's top-selling tequila, and also the oldest, first produced by the Cuervo family in 1795 under royal warrant from the King of Spain. The business is still privately owned by the descendants of the original founder.

Russian Standard is Russia's biggest vodka producer, and a growing force in the global market following its acquisition in 2013 of Polish company CEDC. The group also handles local distribution of key brands from the Remy
Cointreau, Campari and other portfolios within Eastern Europe.

Not just the world's biggest winemaker, E&J Gallo is also among the global Top Ten in premium spirits as a result of a small but significant collection of brands including E&J Brandy and New Amsterdam vodka, now both among the world's Top 25 premium sellers by volume.

Mast-Jaegermeister is Germany's biggest premium spirits company, with a global profile built on the back of a single product, sweet herbal aperitif Jaegermeister. In the space of 40 or so years it has grown from an obscure regional brand into the world's top-selling bitter.

Scotland's Edrington Group controls a small but important portfolio of Scotch whisky brands led by Famous Grouse and The Macallan.
Still controlled indirectly by its founding family, Edrington is also co-owner
with Beam Suntory of the Maxxium distribution network.

William Grant & Sons' own-name blended Scotch is the top-selling brand in their small family controlled portfolio, but the crown jewel is Glennfiddich, the world's most awarded single malt. Other brands include Hendrick's Gin, Sailor Jerry rum & Tullamore Dew Irish whiskey.